But there's no way that it's not going there
with the way that we're looking at each other.
The rest of the day was filled with me showing Fred some of my favourite places. We went by a record store, and he bought some records he thought his mum would like. He also got Arthur some cassette tapes so he could amaze him by playing them on those old radios that his dad collects.
Then we grabbed a bite to eat at a small pizza place. Fred now shares my love for pepperoni pizza.
I took him to my favourite art museum after that. He had a lot of fun in there, but mostly because his mind ran wild with schemes he thought he could get away with. He pulled me from room to room, getting a new idea with each piece of art he stopped to admire. He feigned a posh posture that he deemed 'Slytherin worthy', asking if I thought that's how Lucious Malfoy would inspect the paintings. His chin would lift into the air as he crossed his arms before settling his chin between his thumb and finger. With narrowing eyes, his lips curled into an imitation of the haughty wizard's voice as he divulged his plans for mischief, sending me into fits of laughter every time.
One could say that he was...inspired by the art that hung on every wall. He had one idea to use an illusion charm to make all the artwork disappear and another to make it appear like the canvas of red, yellow, and white paint splatters in front of a muggle family with children was set ablaze. The way he raved about his schemes worried me so much that I decided to leave early.
When we left, I took him to the nearest thrift shop. He had always been interested in muggle fashion and found some trends hilarious, especially the ones from earlier decades. His new favourite item was extremely flared jeans. Unable to resist trying a pair on, he exited a changing room and immediately started posing in the clothes. Not only was he in the jeans, but he also had a paisley, long-sleeved, button-up shirt on, and his long red locks hung from underneath the baker boy cap adorned on top of his head.
Fred had me laughing hysterically as he modelled the outfit with his back turned to the three-way mirror. As he bit his bottom lip and held on to the shirt's collar, he crossed his legs and did a 180 turn to look at his reflection. I put my hand over my mouth as my titters started to subside.
I must admit, he looked charming in the outfit. As goofy as he was, it only made him that much more adorable.
He removed the cap and raked his fingers through his hair, "Maybe I should get a haircut..."
After not receiving an expected answer to his statement, Fred's eyes shifted to my reflection only to catch me admiring him again. As his features softened, he sent me the sweetest smile through the mirror, causing me to blush for the ump-teenth-hundredth time, but I didn't look away. Instead, I met his gaze and smiled back, feeling the warmth rise in my chest.
-----
The sun was starting to set as I drove us to our final destination, and to his surprise.
"I can't believe you actually got the hat," I giggled.
"What? You know you find it sexy on me," Still wearing the cap atop his head, Fred grinned at me like a Cheshire cat, "Plus, you got, like, five different things."
I didn't respond to him because I was concentrating on pulling into a line of cars.
"Where are we?" He asked, leaning forward to get a better look at the place through the windshield.
"This, my friend, is what muggles call..." After paying the admission price for both of us, I tilted my head to look at him, "A drive-in."
My answer was met with a puzzled look, "What's a drive-in?"
"Remember the telly?"
He nodded, his lips pulled into a fine line.
"Well, think of that, but bigger, and we watch it from inside the car."
"Are you serious?" His posture straightened with piqued interest again, but I didn't have time to answer because Fred unbuckled and hopped out of the car as soon as I parked it. Unbuckling myself, I got out as well.
"The movie is gonna play on that?" He pointed at the ginormous screen before us as he took his hat off to get a better view.
Giggling at his sense of wonder, I crossed my arms on top of the car and rested my chin on them, "Mmmhm," I hummed happily.
"Wow," He breathed as he rested his arms on the car as well.
I chuckled before straightening up and shutting my door, "C'mon Weasley, let's go get some snacks."
----
"I can't believe you brought me to watch a movie with a villain named Freddie," He rolled his eyes, pretending to be offended.
"I'm sorry! I didn't think of that when we pulled in," I laughed, "But it's a classic horror movie. You'll love it."
"I better," He huffed jokingly as he climbed into the car, "What's it called again?"
"A Nightmare on Elm Street," I answered, getting comfy in my own seat. The drive-in was replaying it because it's been a little over 10 years since the movie was released, and tonight was one of those 'blasts from the past' nights they held at least once a month.
I flipped through the radio stations to find the one broadcasting the movie's dialogue. Fred listened intently as I explained to him the purpose of the things that I was doing.
I rested against my seat after landing on the right channel.
My hand was met with a warm vibration that spread through my veins as Fred took it into his. There was a tickling in my chest as I turned to meet his sincere gaze, "Thank you so much for today, Charlotte. I've had so much fun. You have no idea what this day has meant to me."
I felt my heart quicken the pace of its beats as he looked at me with those brown eyes of his. I held his hand back by intertwining our fingers, "No; Thank you, Fred. I got to spend time with my parents and visit all my favourite places in town. Not only that, but I got to share them all with you, the most important person in the world to me. You have no idea how badly I needed a day like this."
Our gazes lingered and intertwined with each other as the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a smile. I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks and prayed to Merlin that it was too dark for Fred to notice, but the way he bit his bottom lip as his eyes flitted over my face told me otherwise.
The singular minute felt like an hour before our stares were finally broken. Startled by the sudden crackling noise blasting through the car's speakers, we both jumped apart and cleared our throats as he looked away. I hadn't even noticed that I had been holding my breath until I felt my chest rising as the air reentered my lungs.
What in the bloody hell just happened?
I chanced another look at Fred just in time to witness his face lighting up as the opening trailers started to play. His lips parted slightly as he stared with wide eyes and raised brows.
"Wow..." He breathed.
Once he overcame the initial culture shock and got bored with the trailers, he started looking around at all the cars.
"This seems to be a popular spot for couples," He muttered as he stared into the car next to us. Inside was a set of teenagers who didn't waste time getting into a snogging session.
"Fred! You're not supposed to look in other people's cars! This is supposed to be private for them!"I admonished through giggles.
"Opps," His teeth flashed with a sharp inhale as he looked away, "Sorry."
He readjusted his body to recline back into his seat. I rolled my eyes and lifted my cup to sip my drink.
I swear this boy can never sit still.
His arm stretched out to rest a hand on the back of my seat as he watched me wrap my lips around the straw, "Did you ever come here with Anthony?"
I nearly splutter my drink at his question. Swallowing the liquid down, After wiping its remnants off my chin, I turned to stare incredulously at him, "That's none of your business," I hissed.
"Oh, C'mon!" He probed, "I tell you about all my exes!"
"I never asked you to!" I protested, "Plus, they all go to school with us. So, I already know about them."
"Not all of them! What about that fling I had in Egypt?"
My throat tightened at the reminder. With a huff, I fixated my gaze on the steering wheel as a crinkled formed between my eyebrows, "I forgot about that one," I muttered.
As I sipped on my drink again, the core of my stomach pulled into a tight knot at the memory of him returning from the trip, all jaunty as he boasted about that girl. This was the same tense, almost sinking feeling I got back then, but I still couldn't figure out what it was.
"Charlotte?" Fred's voice rang in my ears, trying to pull me from deep thought.
Y'know what? It's about time I got him back for that story. The summer he went to Egypt and met that girl was the same summer I spent with Anthony. So, I guess I didn't have a right to complain, but still, I didn't come back bragging about it.
"Actually, we did," I started simply, tilting my chin in the air as I sipped from my straw, "We snogged right there on that back seat," I pointed to it with the cup.
He looked over his shoulder and stared at the seat. I took note of how his jaw twitched when it started to clench.
"Made it all the way to second base, too," I added, deciding to torture him a little more after seeing its effect on him. Something about his reaction just made me feel so damn good.
Fred looked at me with confusion, "Second base?"
Oh, yeah. That's what the muggles call it.
I gave him a devious grin and tantalisingly dragged my following sentence out, "Y'know...second base? When a guy slides his hand up your shirt and-"
"Never mind. I've been there," He interrupted and crossed his arms as he turned to face the screen again. His eyes glared at the currently playing trailer on the screen.
"Not with me, you haven't," I shrugged.
An amused glint danced across his eyes as they shifted back to mine. The corner of his lips slowly lifted into a smirk, "Is that an invitation?"
I rolled my eyes and huffed, "In your dreams, Weasley."
Fred chuckled, "Tell me then, Charlotte..."
I tried to ignore him by turning away to sip on my drink, but he leaned in closer, enticing me with his mischievous smirk as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. My eyes shifted to meet his when I felt his fingertips brush my skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake despite the warm summer night air that kept the car at a comfortable temperature.
Momentarily forgetting how to breathe, I just stared at him with my straw lightly pressed against my slightly parted lips. His grin turned dangerous when he saw the effect he was having on me. His irresistible eyes flickered to my lips and filled me with temptation before instantly meeting mine again.
Fuck, did I turn the heat up in here instead of the volume? When he finally spoke again, he leaned in even closer and whispered in my ear, "How many times did you say my name that night?"
I choked on my drink. My hand shot up to cover my mouth as his words sent me into a coughing fit. I had almost forgotten that Anthony told Fred how much I used to talk about him on our dates. Godric, this was humilating
There was no mistaking the cocky look on Fred's face as he leaned back in his seat again and laced his fingers behind his head, "Looks like I got you all choked up."
He was right. I had mentioned Fred once or twice that night with Anthony, maybe even more. I silently prayed that he couldn't see my burning cheeks behind my hand. Judging by his accomplished smirk, I could tell he knew his assumptions of that date were correct.
He had caught me.
Fred let out a breathy laugh as he soaked in his victory, "So, why'd you two break up?"
Hoping to pretend as if all of that didn't just happen, I sat my drink down and tried to compose myself, "We just weren't right for each other. It started off hot and heavy, but we quickly learned we wouldn't make a suitable couple. As friends, we always bickered, and it got even worse when we started dating despite how much we cared about each other. Sometimes we couldn't tell if the other was joking or being serious when we took the mickey out of each other, which always led to a quarrel of some sort. Plus, we were both aware that it was just meant to be a summer fling. We never said that out loud, but we knew. So we just tried to have fun and enjoyed it as much as possible until I broke it off before returning to school."
I shrugged, "Y'know what they say, 'A flame that burns twice as bright, burns half as long.' "
After intently listening to my story, Fred's gaze dropped to his legs. He pinched at the trouser fabric that covered his knee and nodded, "I get that," He mumbled.
Seeing his response made me wonder if he was contemplating his past relationships and flings. A lump rose in my throat; the mere thought nearly strangled me.
He looked back up at me when he spoke again, "It's good you two stayed friends, though."
"Hmm. He's okay, I guess," I shrugged again, "Still, it was a lot of fun while it lasted."
Fred chuckled, "He sure as hell seemed better than Isaac Nott. I still don't know what you ever saw in that guy."
I rolled my eyes at the mention of Isaac's name, "Even I don't know what I was thinking."
After briefly considering it, I continued, "Maybe just pure lust brought us together. Isaac was such a good kisser. Don't even get me started on that night he invited me to that party in the Slytherin common room. Now that house knows how to party. Mmm, and how his hands felt when he gripped hips as we snogged in the corner of the common room," I moaned the last sentence as I pretended to reminisce on this memory.
Deep down, Fred knew nothing scandalous, other than some kissing, happened that night at the party, but I wanted to get him back for figuring out that I talked about him to Anthony.
It was working. He shuffled stiffly in his seat as his grip tightened on the back of my own. I could hear the sound of stretching pleather as his nails scratched and dug against it.
Wait, Is he...jealous?
I felt the ghost of a smile dangle on my lips as pride expanded behind my chest.
Hold on, does this mean I want him to be jealous?
What was happening?
Why was it happening?
He bit the inside of his cheek before his eyes were drawn back to the screen by the changing lights that reflected against his face and the opening score that signalled the near start of the movie
"Oh, look," He faked coughed before pointing at the screen, desperate to end the conversation, "The movie's starting."
Yeah, definitely jealous.
Relishing in this feeling of satisfaction from his reaction, I smirked and turned towards the movie.
His astonishment reappeared as he fully immersed himself in the movie and the new experience.
We were probably an hour into to movie when all of a sudden, Fred shouted, "No! Don't put her to sleep! Why won't the muggle healers listen to her?" He groaned and held a hand out towards the screen, exasperated with characters.
I spit out a laugh at his irritation, "First off, Welcome to the world of horror movies. Second, those are called 'doctors', and to answer your question, this isn't the type of thing muggles believe in."
"Isn't your dad a doctor?" He cocked an eyebrow at me.
"They're not like that in real life!"
"Is everyone in a horror movie this daft?"
"Yes! If they weren't, then we wouldn't have a movie. Now, shut up and watch. This is a good part," I ordered, stuffing a few pieces of popcorn into my mouth.
A few more seconds into the scene, Fred threw up his hands and cheered as Nancy pulled the hat out of her dream. With a thrust of his hand, he pointed high above his head towards the screen and hollered, "Now, that's what I'm talking about! You go, Nancy!"
His hand went to my seat again, watching intently as the movie unfolded. Our eyes were glued to the film as the suspense began to build at a particularly horrifying scene. We both started to lean forward with bated breath. The only sound that could be heard in the dragging silence of the movie was the blood pulsing in our eardrums.
Closer.
...Closer
TOO CLOSE!
A crashing noise blared from the car speakers, causing us to scream at the top of our lungs as we practically jumped out of our skin. The half-eaten bucket of popcorn that once sat in his lap flew into the air, spilling the remaining pieces all over us as our arms flailed to grab each other. His wrapped around me tight as I hid my face in his chest.
I could hear his heart pounding against my ear as he continued watching the movie with a grimace, "Ugh!"
Another loud noise came from the speakers, making us both jump again as his hold on me tightened. His fingers tangled in my hair as I squeezed my eyes shut while feeling my heart skip a beat at the sudden sound and his jerky movement.
Suddenly, his shoulders relaxed, and the loud sound effects came to a halt.
Fred's chuckled. His fingers ran through my hair, slowly removing the ends from my shoulder. I felt his breath brush against the nape of my neck as he looked down at me and whispered in my ear, "I think it's safe to come out now."
A shade of pink blossomed over the apples of my cheeks, and I didn't even try to hide it when I removed my face from his chest. His hand gently fell to my waist as his eyes flittered over my features. His soft, genuine smile grew slowly when he discovered the rosy hue, but we didn't say anything. We were both at a loss for words as a silent palpable wish passed between us.
Maybe it wasn't the sound that made my heart skip a beat.
Maybe it was the way that he looked at me...My best friend.
...I can't...
"Charlotte..." He whispered as I finally broke our gaze.
I settled into my seat but didn't protest as his arm lifted and rested on my shoulders. He watched me carefully as I scooched into him and brushed the remaining strands of messy hair out of my face before looking at him again and smiling bashfully, "That part always gets me."
---
A/N: If you're wondering why I chose to create Isaac, it is because I know Theo is a really beloved character in the fandom, myself included, and at the time I wrote this I didn't know much about him and I didn't want to do and injustice by him in the plans I have for later chapters. Also I wrote this before Christian Nott was introduced to the fandom. So if anyone would like me to change the name from 'Isaac' to 'Christian' just let me know.